If anyone works with microbes, could you tell me how long single bacteria might survive and continue to move if they are placed on a dry surface? Earlier I was under the impression that bacteria dry up and die within a few seconds of taking them out of water. However, I just remembered that several infections are caused by airborne bacteria. Do airborne bacteria have any tricks like hibernation which they use to stay alive, or is my estimate on bacteria survival time just completely wrong?

Does anyone have any idea if it would be feasible to try to observe Myxococcus xanthus moving on a silica (glass) surface? That particular species does not swim, it only crawls.

The bacterial cellwall is much better than a simple membrane to prevent dessication. Depending on the species and the condition, survival will last from a few hours to days or longer. If they form spores, the upper bound is not known as some spores that were encapsulated by the ancient Egyptian had been revived after more than 2000 years later.

Patrick

Science has proof without any certainty. Creationists have certainty without
any proof. (Ashley Montague)